Bernatore, Bernatore

In the shadows, there was a gathering created five years ago, hosted by Luna.

The name of the gathering, which brought together women directly connected to Scarl, was “Bernatore’s Connections.”

The members were top-notch.

A country girl who served Scarl most closely as a maid and Hero, the owner of Holy Sword 『Love』.

Maid Queen—Luna Bernatore.

A Hero who was personally taught the sword by Scarl and a commander of the Imperial Army, the owner of Demon Sword 『Revenge』.

Demon Sword Master—Flare Bernatore.

A tragic princess who discovered Heroes with excellent insight and defied fate with her full support for them.

The Empire’s first Empress—Sophia Alexandria Arthur III.

The continent’s best merchant guild and information guild, created by Scarl, said to possess all the wealth and knowledge in the world.

Midas—Kasha.

However, the world didn’t initially give them a good evaluation.

Secret Separate Palace.

In the most secret and secluded space in the Imperial Palace where the Second Princess Sophia resided, the four sat around a circular table and began their final meeting.

As always, the meeting began with Luna’s words.

“Shall we start the first agenda of our final meeting by settling accounts for the past five years?”

For the first three years, the four of them formed a hero party and worked in a textbook manner.

Flare and Sophia, as students, attended the academy while touring the provinces where demons appeared, growing stronger.

The traditional method of dealing with the Demon King’s fingertips and toes first was certainly safe, but it took too long.

Luna asks Sophia.

“You’re still not over what happened two years ago, are you? Sophia?”

“What? Losing the black shard and disbanding the party?”

The hero party disbanded after that.

“Yes.”

“It was better that way. I was too much of a burden to keep up with you two…”

“That’s something the Archmage Sophia would laugh at, don’t you think?”

“Luna, Empress Sophia thinks it was a great relief.”

“It’s all thanks to the system that Master left behind in Aiden. Making the efficient even more efficient.”

As Kasha said, the remaining two years were simple.

Let’s each do what we do best.

So Luna and Flare took charge of combat, while Kasha and Sophia took charge of internal affairs.

Luna and Flare were madness-filled sisters who rushed madly towards demons.

Whenever news of demons came, they would go anywhere.

If they saw a demon, they would find a way to kill it.

The Hero duo, who brought back the heads of demons even with torn skin and broken leg bones, only listened to the Second Princess and Aiden, becoming a target of fear not only for demons but also for the ruling class of the Empire.

Kasha and Sophia, who were in charge of internal affairs, didn’t have it easy either.

Kasha became a well-known Godfather in the Empire’s back alleys, extending her business to smuggling anything that could make money. Of course, all the money she earned was used for the combat team’s expenses and Sophia’s political funds.

Sophia, in order to expand her political standing and support the combat team and Kasha, frequently assassinated and plotted against her political rivals, ruling with terror before becoming Empress. Even after becoming Empress, she moved the Imperial Army to the point of exhausting the nation’s resources, constantly engaging in all-out war with the Demon King Army.

“After that—”

Sophia hastily stops Flare’s words.

“Should we never tell Scarl about what happened in the last two years, ever?”

Silence falls.

The four look at each other and nod slightly.

Starting with Luna.

“Um… Thinking about it now, I think it was too extreme. I wonder if Scarl would be surprised if he knew.”

Flare scratches her head.

“If Sophia hadn’t asked me to, the number of people I killed would have been half, no, a quarter—”

Sophia slams the table and stands up.

“That couldn’t be helped! Everyone agreed to it!”

On the other hand, Flare, with a face that seemed to ask if a dog was barking, was nonchalant.

“Why? Becoming Empress was easy!”

With that, Flare pressed Sophia’s berserk button.

“What looks easy?! Why don’t you try it? You’re too stupid to do math! Scarl would be so surprised if he knew your academy grades that he’d jump up! How did you even graduate?! Huh?”

Sophia pressed Flare’s berserk button.

Flare stands up abruptly, puts her forehead against Sophia’s, and pushes.

“Hey! I told you not to talk about studying! How am I supposed to study when I’m out there slaying demons?! Wanna take off our ranks and fight right now? We’re leaving soon anyway?! Come on! Come at me!”

Sophia pushes back with her forehead, not giving in.

“Did you think I didn’t take exams while running around with you?”

“What? What did you say? You!”

Only Sophia, being pushed back by the difference in strength, screams.

“Eeeeeeeek—!!”

Luna and Kasha, who are caught between the two, sigh deeply.

“Flare, stop it! Sophia, calm down!”

“Both of you, stop it! How can you be so unchanged from the beginning?”

The four’s goal has been the same since five years ago.

To go back to that day and revive Scarl.

That seemingly impossible goal, after a dangerous situation, finally became possible with the last piece of the black shard they found after killing the Demon King.

Until now, it was just a gathering to save Scarl.

But as time went on, only questions remained about his actions.

“Last agenda! How did Scarl know everything?”

Everyone airs their long-held questions.

“…As I was searching for Scarl’s traces, I found more than one or two strange things.”

“The Black Rose dagger. The guy who survived the day I was kidnapped said before he died that Scarl Bernatore rushed over as if he knew the location of the hideout. He said he found the device and operated it as if he was familiar with it and rescued me…”

I accidentally found out while dealing with the Black Rose who had gone over to the Demon King Army.

I should have noticed it then and killed him…! Well, that’s what he spat out, but it’s true that I kept him alive a little longer to dig up information.

“The Demon Sword and Holy Sword, the magical accessories that Scarl gave us. How did he manage to pick out only the best ones?”

For the first three years of our journey, we had no trouble dealing with demons with just the weapons and accessories he had prepared.

“And I found out through Kasha. The territories that were attacked using Aiden.”

“Baron Gorgor, Count Bertos, Marquis Antonio, you mean?”

“Those three territories were the first traitors to go over to the Demon King. Thanks to that, I… Did Scarl know all this?”

“Master invested in the most dangerous way, using the territories as collateral from the beginning. It’s not something a normal person would do. Especially according to what Luna told me…”

Various other speculations came out, but everything was concluded with Luna’s words.

“Whatever it is, it was all an arrangement prepared for us. So, we’ll have to meet Scarl and hear the answers to these questions directly.”

She couldn’t bring herself to say the most pressing question and swallowed it down.

‘Scarl. Why did you deliberately make me and Flare hate you…?’

Perhaps there was still some lingering resentment from the fight earlier, Flare was showing off the old ring of regeneration that Scarl had given her five years ago in front of Sophia.

“Hmph. Hmph~”

Sophia was annoyed by the sight.

“Bernatore.”

“Don’t call me that, it’s confusing with Luna.”

Sophia scoffed at Flare’s matter-of-fact statement.

“That’s right, who told you to steal Scarl’s last name? Don’t you think about the Empress’s position, who has to save face in front of her subjects?!”

“…If only you couldn’t talk.”

Luna, next to the two peers who were starting to fight again, calmly took out a sandwich and started eating.

“Both of you, stop fighting. Do you want to eat the sandwich I brought?”

Flare and Sophia were horrified.

“Ah! Luna, even I can’t eat that!”

“No way. Do you know how fishy the sandwiches you make are?!”

Luna, looking somewhat nostalgic at the sight, took a bite of the sandwich.

“Munch. Scarl liked this the most.”

She was sure of it because he said this sandwich was delicious even on the last day she saw him.

“That’s not true. Scarl said the pasta I made was the most delicious.”

“That’s a statement I can’t overlook either, Sophia.”

Now Luna and Sophia started a war of nerves, and Kasha opened the door and came in.

“Empress Sophia. Are you fighting with the ladies again? It’s ready! Let’s go!”

Hearing that everything was ready, the three hurriedly headed to the room where the device was stored.

“Is everyone ready? We’re going back to the day Master died. Remember. It’s around 6 AM.”

It was a word they had heard several times, but it was the most important.

“Everyone, when we go back, don’t tell Scarl what happened. We’ll discuss the last agenda again when we’re all together—”

“I’m tired of hearing it, Luna!”

“Let’s go to Scarl quickly. Hurry!”

Everyone added a word and emphasized that they were ready.

The four had achieved great feats, but since five years ago, a single man had been their whole world.

Luna, standing in front of the device, casually spat out harsh words.

“Kasha, bring the Holy Sword carriage as soon as we go back. I’m going to slice that nasty bastard a hundred times over.”

Flare confidently declared.

“Don’t worry, Luna. I’ll get rid of him as soon as he appears in front of me. You won’t even get a turn.”

“Sophia—”

Sophia cuts off Kasha’s words.

“I know, Kasha. The Empire hasn’t forgotten its grudge against the Demon King. I’ll protect the citizens of the capital and the academy no matter what.”

Flare, sending a disapproving look towards Sophia, who was unusually mature, said.

“Liar Sophia. If you go to see Scarl before me, I’ll kill you?”

“Seriously! How can a commander talk to the Empress like that! Luna!! Is it okay for your sister to have such a foul mouth?”

“You’re the Second Princess again when we go back!”

“Ah! Seriously! Hey! Flare!”

Luna and Kasha laughed because it was a sight they always saw when they met in the back.

“Scarl had a foul mouth like Flare, so it’s okay, right?”

“That’s right! Not Aiden, but Scarl was like that!”

Sophia reluctantly nodded, pouting.

“Well, that’s true, but Scarl cursed a lot since he was young. Not later on, but…”

Finally, Kasha said what she would do when she went back.

“If I go back to Master’s side, I’ll have to set up the guild office first.”

Sophia shook her head.

“Ugh. I can’t do that, Kasha.”

“Then Empress Sophia doesn’t have to go, does she?”

Sophia was startled by Kasha’s joke.

“Oh, Kasha, really! What are you talking about! The Empress is abandoning her position?!”

Everyone laughed at Sophia’s flustered and quickened words.

“Really… Just because we met twice.”

Flare’s words made Sophia’s face turn redder, and the scar on her forehead became clearer.

“Three times, three times! Originally, royals get married after meeting only three times!”

As always, Kasha and Luna were the ones to clean up the situation.

“Everyone seems to have relaxed, so I’ll activate the device. Flare, your performance is the most important at first.”

“I hope we can all see each other again soon.”

Kasha thought it was really fortunate that Luna and Flare had found the letter and the stone five years ago and activated the device.

Woooooong—!!

“I’ll be there soon. Scarl.”

“I’ll save you this time. Aiden.”

“…I didn’t even get to kiss Scarl.”

“What did you just say, Empress? You told me you’ve done everything while sleeping together…”

“Did you believe that—?!”

Woooooong—!!!!!!!!!!

Flash—!!

As the device began to operate with a loud noise, Sophia’s words were cut off, and the secret separate palace regained its silence.